Julia Bell, ADCRG

Director

 

In 1979, Julia Bell began dancing at the age of 5 with the Burke School at the Irish Centre of Pittsburgh (ICOP).   She continued her instruction under the Burke School's Pittsburgh and Cleveland, OH locations until graduating from North Allegheny High School in 1992.

 

Julia’s competitive Irish dancing career began in 1980 when she competed in her first feis, and she attended her first Oireachtas in Chicago in 1984 as a Preliminary Championship level dancer.   Here, Julia qualified for the World Championships for the first time.   In each of the seven subsequent years that she danced competitively, Julia would again qualify for the World Championships and  finished among the top three Midwest Region dancers in her age group for 5 consecutive years. Julia ended her competitive dancing career in 1992 to attend Penn State University, graduating in 1996 with a B.S. in Environmental Resource Management.  Throughout college and following her graduation Julia taught with the Burke School, qualifying for the TCRG certification in 1998.  In 1999, Julia left the Burke School to start the Bell School of Irish Dance in Pittsburgh's North Hills.  In 2004, Julia qualified for the Irish dance adjudicators certification (ADCRG) at the age of 30- the minimum age requirement for sitting for the exam. 

 

Julia loves to teach Irish dancing and  could not be happier that her childhood hobby was able to grow into her full-time career.  She finds teaching very fulfilling and is honored to get to know so many wonderful dancers and their families.  
 
Julia and her husband  Brian Lopresti live in Marshall Township with their two sons, Patrick and Owen.